3.10/4.00

MATH 141

was always prepared to give lectures and was understanding of students problems with certain parts of the class. talked very clearly and gave very clear notes.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2003

borzellino was a great teacher, he was the first math teacher i had in this school, so i didn't know what to expect, he gives very clear lectures and his midterms and quizes are very stright forward ~basically if you do the homework and understand you are most likey to get at least a above a B on them. i never went to his office hours so i can't tell you anything about that. his final was pretty hard.. but you have a lot of time to take it.. so take your time and think all the questions through.

Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Nov 2004

Awesome teacher who KNOWS what he's teaching.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2004

Borzellino is an excellent professor. He doesn't collect homework, but there is a quiz every week, a way for him to test if you have done the homework. Borzellino explains the material throughly and presents it clearly, but his three exams are much harder than anything seen in the homework. However, he does seem to curve grades, because I came into the final with a middle C, and walked out with a B in the class, and I think I only got about 50-60% of the questions on the final correct. Aside from this, I would highly recommend Borzellino to anyone.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2004

I was not a particular fan of Dr. Borzellino. He would do amazingly easy problems in class then on his midterms thier would be terribly hard problems. He also didn't seem to understand the students questions. You basically have to teach yourself. You should worry if you get stuck with him but definitly no a first choice.

Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Jan 2005

He explained everything well and had tests weekly to let you know where you are standing, but his tests were no where close to any of the problems that he did in class or even problems in the book. It was as if Satan wrote his tests for him. I mean, I didn't do bad in the class at all means, but I did spend a lot of time doing my homework for his class even though it never had to be turned in.

Freshman
D
Required (Support)
Jan 2005

I put alot of effort into this class, it really made my quarter suck because I did so much math. He explains things well, but on the tests you are lost. The problems are much harder and more involved than the homework or quizzes. An average class grade on a test of 54% is UNACCEPTABLE, even if they are curved. However, I am taking 141 over, and this time I have a different teacher and I am doing much better. I wouldnt take borzellino again.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2005

No homework! I don't know what those other people are talking about because this guy was awesome. I went to class twice a week and walked out with an A. He doesn't collect homework and explains stuff clearly in class. Take him.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Feb 2005

Borzellino actually presents the material really well. His lectures are very clear and well presented. Homework isn't collected, but it's extremely necessary to do it. He chooses problems more difficult than those on the homework for the quizzes, and the tests can be crazy hard. The class average is usually in the 50% range. He curves it, but that doesn't help as much as you'd think. I wouldn't take Borzellino again.

Freshman
D
Required (Support)
Mar 2005

This guy know what he is talking about but he obviously did not want to be teaching 141. He always talked down to us and his tests were impossible. They are meant to make you fail! Avoid this guy until a higher math course.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Apr 2010

Borzellino taught the first calculus that I had ever taken, and I feel that I learned a lot from him. He teaches through examples, many of which look almost identical to quiz problems. He is not an incredibly interesting speaker, but he passes along the information well. Also, he is very helpful in office hours. His tests (both the midterm and the final) are much more challenging than the quizes the class takes on a weekly basis. He also grades the class on a scale where students are ranked relative to one another. This system could be either good or bad, depending on how well you do in comparison to the rest of the class.

MATH 142

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2002

Borzellino didnt collect homework, though he asigned it, so you could do it if you like. There is a weekly quiz with easy questions. The test questions however are bastardly and nothing like the quiz questions. Thankfully he uses a curve, so as long as you dont do as bad as everyone else, you are in good shape. If you are good a math, no worries about taking Borzellino, but if you struggle, I would steer clear of him.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2002

In terms of teaching the material, this guy gets the job done. He doesn't collect homework but if you look at the problems he does assign, which is pretty much every damn problem in the lesson, it really sucks to do them all. What's even worse, even if you can do the homework hella well, his tests are still frekin hard. He does curve which is probably why i passed this class with a decent grade. His weekly quizzes aren't very hard, those are based off the homework. I swear...his tests are brutal. If you can get another teacher that won't kill your grade on tests then go for it, otherwise be prepared to work your butt off in Borzellino's class if math isn't one of your strong points.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Sep 2002

He puts alot of effort into lecture. He covers material well and is always willing to go over things again to clear up questions. The only downside is his tests are hard and his final is even harder. The cure will be there to save the day and your grade. Just do well on the midterms and dont even try the final it is almost impossible. Overall a great teacher.

Freshman
F
Required (Major)
Dec 2002

A great lecturer! BUT: His tests deviate greatly from his lectures. Lectures and quizzes may seem straightforward and simple, but then the tests blow you away. Knows his subject well, but makes it TOO DIFFICULT.

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Dec 2002

Borzellino is an okay guy. His lectures are useful and you'll want to make sure not to miss any of them ever. There are weekly quizzes wich shouldn't be too hard, but I agree with everyone else by saying that his tests are morbidly terrifying. Even studying your ass off won't save you from them. You'll come into the class downright cocky thinking "Yeah, I'm good at math, this class will be a breeze..." but then you take his tests and get a big whiff of reality. Yes, he does curve the grades, so if you fail, most likely everyone else did too, so you shouldn't worry about not passing the course.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2002

Very good lecturer. Good curves too on exams. Midterms and quizzes not too difficult. Final is a killer. Take him if you can

Freshman
B
General Ed
Jan 2003

Wow, this teacher is incredible! Professor Borzellino definitely knows his material. I took an honors course, so the depth of the material he lectured was a bit more complicated. He doesn't collect homework, which is cool. But I HIGHLY recommend you do homework "for your own benefit". If you don't, you're dead in his class. And this is an understatement. His quizzes are hard. His tests are harder. And his midterms and final are insane. If you get in his class, be prepared to work, work, work. But in the end, it's worth all the time you put into his class.

Freshman
F
Required (Major)
Jan 2003

Despite my grade in the class, I would still say Prof. Borzellino is a very good teacher. He presents the material clearly and in a way that is easy to understand. He is also good about answering any questions you might have in class, and is usually available during his office hours for additional help. The course-honors 142, however, was difficult and required quite a large amount of time and dedication for success

Freshman
C
Required (Major)
Feb 2003

i hated borzellino first quarter, i was in the honors section, which means i have him again this quarter for 143, and will have him til 242 if i so desire. the only reason i chose to have this guy for the second time was that my priority was so bad that i had no other choice without crashing. so i decided to stay with the farmiliar instead of trying someone new who had the potential of just being worse. This quarter i experienced a whole new outlook on the class... maybe good ol joe had a really great winter break, maybe he realized how few of his students returned (just kidding, we only lost about 15%) but this quarter is like a whole new world. ill report back, hopefully with a better grade than a C next time around after i finish 143. Good stuff about this class: no homework collected, just suggested for self-bettering, weekly quizzes decrease the importance of each quiz on the whole, and help you get out early on fridays, and the whole class is on a curve because he knows how hard his exams are. bad stuff: the 2 midterms and final were all hella hard (yeah, 'hella' thats right) take borzellino if you enjoy random side stories to help lighten up the class

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2003

as an incoming freshman i did not know what i was getting into when i signed up for joe's honors 142 class. you needed a 5 on the AP test to get into the class. i have regrets taking this class because although borzo is a great teacher, (he really teaches the material well) his 2 midterms and final are impossible. the weekly quizzes are easy and basic, but low and behold, he modifies the problems on midterms and final to something that youve never seen before. i would suggest taking borzo for a non honors class, but for you smart people who dont know what your getting into with honors, i would recommend that you take a regular math class and get an "A" in it instead of a "C". (it might help your GPA just a little!! ;) ) this class is for super genius's, not regular genius's.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2003

Borzellino is the best teacher I've had. I had him for 142, 143, and 241. He is awesome. He presents material very clearly. Don't get me wrong, his tests are really hard, but he is a great teacher.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Nov 2007

he is an allright guy kinda fun but dry. he says intuitive or however u speel every 10 words and its lame but he is a god teacher. he derives a lot of the formulas so u get a better undertanding of where it comes from and how and it helped me a lot. his quizzes arent that bad but his midterms and final are way harder than the examples he does in class. but he is open to questions so jsut ask

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2007

INTUITIVELY, Borzellino is a genius. He is great at explaining material. He writes out what he wants you to take notes on and derives things which really help and make a lot of sense. He always says intuitively or geometrically every other sentence. I just got a C because I didn't do anything until about the fourth week since it was summer and i failed my first midterm. Make sure you do your homework. It's hella work, but it will help you. GO TO OFFICE HOURS. Even though he might be kind of intimidating, he'll help you a lot. His quizzes and midterms are like the homework. His final is hard, but I don't mind taking a hard final because Borzellino is that good.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to take this guy.

MATH 143

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2003

AWESOME!!! The best teacher I have had at CalPoly. He presents the material very clearly. He understands what is difficult, and shows tricks to make it easier. Doesnt collect homework, practice exams are helpful. Quizes are very straight forward. Tests are pretty difficult. I strongly reccomend him. Getting a high grade is possible, but not easy due to the difficulty of his tests.

Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2003

I love having Borzellino for 143 this quarter. He really presents the material well. It's a little fast paced, but that at least kept me awake. Yes, the midterms are difficult, but the quizzes are nice. They really helped to reinforce what we learned each week. I'm really looking forward to having him next quarter, and for as long as possible after that. I also like the idea of his curving at the end of the quarter. We deserve it, since his exams are so difficult.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2003

Excellent at teaching the material. However, you better learn it by midterms and final. They are a killer. No calculator, notes, or other crutches allowed. Takes time out of class to do problems and very approachable.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2003

Borzellino is a great teacher. He is friendly, explains material well, and did not move too fast-at least not for me. He assigns homework, but does not collect it, which could be a problem for people who can't motivate themselves to do homework unless they have to turn it in. He has two midterms and one final, as well as a 2-3 question quiz every friday. All his test questions are difficult, but very straight forward with no tricks. It is not hard to do well in his class, as long as you know the material. I highly recommend him for any math class.

Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Dec 2003

I highly recommend this guy as a math teacher. He really knows his stuff and can convey his knowledge to the students very well. It is easy to takes notes in class, and those are necessary to help you for the tests and the final. He assigns A LOT of homework, but doesn't collect it. It basically there to give you an opportunity to practice the material. Almost every Friday there was a quiz on that week's material. I guess this is how he checks that you do the homework. His tests tend to be a little hard, but since I did a lot of homework I didn't find them to be too difficult. He did have some nasty integrals on sample exams, but nothing like that showed up on the actual tests. The final was easier than the midterms, especially time wise. Got everything done and out ~45 minutes early.
What else...he doesn't allow any calculators, "cheat sheets" or any other means of help in tests. Accordingly he doesn't expect you to simplify everything and is not very strict about correct syntax if you seem to know what you're doing.

What can you say? BORZELLINO is the BEST! He makes math great, interesting, and most of all, makes sure you understand. If you have difficult in Calculus, Borzellino will make it breezy for you. Don't expect no work becuase he gives quizzes every week. BUT, he is preparing you for the real work involving the love of Calculus!

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Feb 2004

Borzellino is great. He's funny, makes lecture interesting, and is so clear that it's a mystery how a person could not pass his class. He grades very fairly and consistently, and does not collect homework. Take him already!

Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2004

Borze, is a great proffesor. He can explain material well. Take him if you can. His exams are difficult, but if no homework and good lectures.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2004

Prof. Borzellino is great and definitely knows what he's doing. The thing is, if you don't understand it, he probably won't be able to explain it to you other than how he presented it to the class... He doesn't collect homework, so if you're lazy or if you count on those easy homework points to boost your grade, look elsewhere! His tests are on the difficult side, though not as difficult as some of the other math exams I've had. No note cards are allowed; this is tough for the finals! And be careful not to memorize anything wrong!

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Apr 2004

KNows everything he's talking about and presents it clearly. He can get a bit boring, but hey its math what do you expect? Weekly quizzes on last day of class for the week aren't too bad. Doesn't collect homework. I swear though he has the Math Devil write his tests for him they are insanely hard.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
May 2004

this guy is good at teaching and knows math

Freshman
D
Required (Support)
Aug 2004

Borzellino is a really nice guy, and there's no denying that he knows what he's talking about, BUT I did not like his class. Up until his class, I aced every math class I ever took. He gives you homework problems but doesn't collect them and his tests are rediculously hard. This hurt me 2 ways; 1) didn't get enough practice (my fault) and 2) the lack of a homework grade made all the grade based on quizes and tests. He doesn't just test on the concepts, he purposefully makes the problems on the test harder than then they should be.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Feb 2005

I've only made it through 3/4 of his class so far but honestly it is not a bad class. I read a lot of people griping about how hard his tests are but I was able to do fine on them and I hardly do the homework. The really key to learning from this guy is to write down everything that he writes down on the board in an organized manner AND listen to what he is saying. In the end, that will make the homework easy which makes the weekly quizzes easy and if you just do the midterm reviews he posts on the website you'll do fine. I'd say the best part of his class is around midquarter you go over some very simple, easy concpets and formulas and if you memorize them while he teaches you don't have to touch the homework and you'll pass the weekly quizzes.....I'd take him again any day.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2005

Borzellino is awesome and I recommend you take him any chance you can. He is extremely knowledgable and just plain cool. He presents the material very clearly and teaches you techniques that the book doesn't hit on. It was also great that he didn't collect homework but rather gave weekly quizes. The quizes weren't too difficult and were a good boost for my grade. His midterms and final were pretty difficult. However, they were very fair. I never came accross a question that he hadn't prepared us for. His test were usually just difficult because he picked hard problems not because there was any thing tricky about the class. If you ever do get the opportunity to take him pay attention to his claw like grip when it comes to chalk. He seems to break an entire pack in the course of his lecture.

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2005

dont beleive the hype, its really not that easy to get a B.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2005

WHAT THE F*** This Guy has a grading problem. He genuinely doesn't care what the students think and how they do. He doesn't even face the class. He looks off into the corner of the room.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Apr 2005

Hes kinda dry so try and stay awake. Do the homework even though it isnt collected. I didnt do any first half and blew my grade. Second half did it and brought my grade up dramatically. Hes a good guy.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2005

Huh? This guy is excellent!

Sophomore
C
Required (Major)
May 2005

Borzelli is simply amazing. I've never had a math teacher who was as good as him at explaining math. Even with his teaching I had a difficult time getting my hands around some of the material, but he's by far the best math teacher I've had at Poly. His quizzes and tests are pretty tough, but they're nothing students shouldn't be prepared for, and he's very fair with the curve. If you take him, be sure to keep a running total from day one on chalk breaks: we counted nearly 70 this quarter.

Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Jan 2006

Borzellino is the best teacher I have had at Cal Poly. I had him for 143 and I have him again now for 244. He explains everything so clearly in the lectures. He never stumbles or forgets what is next in the lecture like some professors do. He does examples to explain concepts and if you go to class, pay attention and understand what he explains you don't really have to do the homework. His tests are hard but not impossible. He is a nice guy and he knows what he is talking about.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2006

Simply an excellent Calculus teacher. Professor Borzellino is the best Calculus teacher I have ever had. He explains materials very clearly and is an all around good guy. He boils down each section to the most important concepts and takes the time to explain them well. His tests and quizes are straightforward and he grades on a curve. I highly recommend Borzellino.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2007

Overall, he is a good teacher, but you have quizes every week which most people fail. He does curve though. His midterms and final are reasonable.

Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2010

Amazing professor.
The quizzes at the end of each week is a good way to measure how much someone is spending time to actually learn the material.

Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2010

Math 143 material is by far very different than other maths. But Dr. Borzellino explained the material very clearly and in a way that was easy to understand. His notes on the board are very organized, making it easy to refer back to lecture notes when doing homework or studying for a quiz. His teaching style/lectures are very simple and easy to catch on to/follow--a typical lecture consists of proofs as an intro to the topic he will be lecturing on that day only to be followed by examples that will help with homework/quiz prep/test prep. A good thing about his class is that homework is not collected. You\'re probably wondering what the incentive is to study everyday/almost everyday. Well, the thing is, he gives weekly quizzes on the material taught during that week which is (in my opinion) definitely a plus. The quizzes cover the main points of the material and give you an idea about how well you know the material. Not to mention, it almost helps boost your grade! Studying everyday for math (or cramming on Thursday nights) every week in order to prepare for that Friday\'s quiz is definitely better than having your grade consist of only a midterm and a final! Take Borzellino for Math 143 if you can!

Freshman
F
Required (Support)
Mar 2010

The instructor seems like a nice guy while he\'s explaining the material, but the extremely brutal quizzes and midterms he writes tell a different story. They are not easy at all, and harder than the material on the homework in general. If you are not spot-on perfect, you will not pass the quizzes. In general, Borzellino would generally beat around the bush with the material, as he expected you to know Calc 142 VERY well. I probably asked the most questions out of any student in the class, and I think it started to grate on him. Whenever I would ask a question related to something I \"should have known\" from 142, he never really answered it. Right from the start, I felt I was in over my head, as the earliest material in the class was the \"hardest\" he would teach all quarter. Homework is not collected in this class, but I almost wish it was, as it would have given my grade something of a boost.

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2010

borzellino is a great teacher he really know his stuff. He used to teach higher level stuff. He presents it very clearly and doesn\'t teach you stuff you don\'t need to know. He is great and makes it interesting for series. I recommend him. His exams are very fair and not terribly difficult if you prepare for them.

Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Apr 2010

overall he is a pretty good prof. he presents the material well and gives relevant examples in class. sometimes he lacks the social skills to deal with questions you ask, but usually he is okay. grade based off a midterm and final, and weekly quizzes based on homework. i would reccommend him for anyone that has a decent understanding of math concepts

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
May 2010

Borzellino\'s pretty good. He doesn\'t collect homework, which is a blessing and a curse, so I\'d recommend taking a workshop along with this class, unless you\'re diligent enough to do bookwork without ever having to hand it in. The material is presented clearly, and he takes plenty of questions. However, his quizzes are very tough and the smallest of errors will really dock you. I often got 7/10 on my quizzes that felt like 10/10\'s. Not sure if this is his fault or the grader\'s, but the class is curved.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
May 2010

What can I say? Taking Borzellino means you\'re in for a fair \"boot camp\" in calculus, as I once heard someone say. He explain concepts clearly (even using different colored chalks), is helpful in office hours, and really cares if you understand the material. However, his weekly quizzes and tests are a tough challenge and can be VERY hard if you don\'t do homework (which isn\'t graded). Yes, this class, particularly sequences and series, is mind-boggling and tough, but Borzellino makes sure you REALLY understand the stuff by giving tough problems. However, he curves absolutely EVERYTHING so that if you get average on everything (even if the average was an F) you will get at least a C. Fortunately he is very approachable and helps to clear up any difficulties you may have. Overall a decent professor, just make sure you really understand the stuff if you take him.

MATH 206

Junior
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2004

Borzellino is not the easiest instructor in the Math department, but is consistent. His lectures are always well structured and insightful, his quizzes and exams always challenging. Borzellino focused his lectures so that I could understand the background of the topics in a clear, concise, and thorough manner. His was equally adept at covering the "applied" use of the techniques of Linear Algebra, although the exams tended to focus more on theoretical questions than was expected. Many complain about the difficulty of the questions, and at times not a single student in the entire class received full credit on a quiz. But this tendency towards difficulty is tempered by a liberal curving policy. Just be certain to overperform relative to your peers, and Borzellino will be sure to give you a grade that conforms to your effort in the class.

Senior
D
Elective
Mar 2004

This guy is an excellent teacher, period.
However, the whole reason I am writing this review is to tell AERO people that although we need Linear Algebra and "they" assume you know it, this class takes time! It requires plenty of studying, it won't be cake. I thought it was going to be easy, took it to learn the fundamentals that we aren't taught but expected to know, and it is easy, you just need to put time in. So if you are an AERO, be prepared for the time crunch if you choose to take this class.
You will learn a lot though. You get your money's worth (or, your parent's money's worth...)

MATH 241

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2003

After 143, 241 seems pretty easy except by the end there so much different crap to know. Borzo teaches it really well with lots of examples and a weekly quiz to keep u up to date. No HW collected. Halfway thru we rushed so we could spend time on the wierd theorems on the end. Excellent teacher take if u can

Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2003

Borezellino really knows his stuff. He is great at explaining the material and is by far the best math teacher I have had at poly. Last quarter some of my friends were fed up with their math teachers after doing poorly on their midterms, so they decided to sit in on my class. Thanks to Borzellino both of them ended up passing the class.

Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Aug 2003

Dr. Borzellino is one of those teachers that you only get once or twice during your college career. He has an excellent sense of humor, and is very knowledgeable not only in his field but in other fields where his field is applied. I had him for honors Calc 142 all the way through 241, that's how good he was. He is very helpful during office hours, I only wish that I had taken more advantage of them. The times when I did go though, he always dropped everything he was doing to focus on what I needed or just to talk shop. For example, one time I went in with a question about my test and he ended up helping me understand fractals, which I had always wanted to know more about, and recommended a book for me to read. His tests are doable, and very challenging. When you do good on one of his tests you KNOW that you know the stuff. They are usually a mixture of conventional problems and very outside-of-the-box problems which help you to actually think about what you are doing rather than just churning out a set pattern of steps to an answer.

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2006

Borzellino was a pretty good teacher. He doesn't collect homework which is good, you just have a weekly quiz on friday. I failed every one of them because I didn't go over any of the material until we were going to have a test on it. When the tests came around, I studied a lot but still only got 2 C's and a D. He does curve though so just hope your class is retarded. The only thing that pissed me off was that he takes forever to get tests back to you. I'd recommend him though, for a calc teacher he's pretty decent. Just study a lot for the tests cuz they're hard

Junior
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2006

2 midterms and a final, with quizzes every week. Quizzes were simple and self explanatory from the homework. AGAIN IT IS NOT COLLECTED. I have a habit of NOT doing homework if it isn't collected (others i know do too) SO if you have a tendency to get lazy, don't take it with him. His tests are pretty easy but he can't explain math to students.

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Feb 2006

Borzellino is an amazing teacher. He is funny, tries to keep the course content interesting and genuinely cares about his students. I've had him for the past three quarters and would definitely take him again if I had any math classes left to take. Take him, you won't regret it!

Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Oct 2006

Wouldn't let me crash the class even though there were 3 (THREE) open spots and it was the last day to add classes. His reasoning, 3 waitlisted students were given their permission numbers 2 days before and they might be adding the class still. So now I'm pretty much screwed b/c I NEEDED this class and now will be literally pushed back a year b/c I won't be able to enroll in the AERO 300 series the one time it is taught per yer......

Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Jun 2007

Borzellino was hands down the best math professor that I have had here at Cal Poly. He kept my attention and is randomly halarious under his breath. He is very systematic and fair and I learned ALOT from him. I still remember little things that he taught me as I go about really hard derivatizations in my upper division chemistry and physics courses. I would take him again in a heart beat.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Sep 2007

Took him for summer 8 week session. While he does not go into the harder problems in class, they are in the homework he assigns. There is a lot of HW but for me I just did all the problems and set the curve in the class no problem. My guess is nobody else did all the hw (it was the most I've done ever at CP for a single class). He let me take the final on a different day because I had a wedding to go to. Good guy, always in a good mood. I'd reccomend him for any math class. Class is curved, tests are moderately difficult.

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2007

Solid teacher. Somewhat difficult subject. Weekly quizzes which have very similar problems to test. 2 midterms. gives you a list of hw but never collected or due. I didn't think the subject was too hard.

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2007

Borzellino is a fun and friendly professor, but if I could take the class over again I would NOT take him. He doesn't collect the assigned homework - which is long and tedious. There are quizs every week (always during the last class period of the week) which are very similar to the more difficult homework problems (which I never did). Two difficult midterms (that get curved) and one final. Borzellino is a nice guy and a good teacher but just too difficult - if you just want an easy A with not too much work - try your luck with a different teacher.

Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2008

borzellino was pretty damn good. the first two days of class we had richert cuz borzo was at a conference in sd and that guy was just shitty. i wouldn't recommend richert. but borzo was good. he specializes in higher level geometric math so this class is a good one to take from him. stuff that can be confusing with 3-d graphs are explained well through pretty funny analogies: toothpicks through ice cream cones that are shared with 3 other friends, bitten off slices of pizza, climbing up mountains, and other random ass shit. he has an odd sense of humor, joking at times about long john silver, disney references, and zz top, but i was laughing a ton in the class. he repeats things quite a bit, like intuitively, schematically, and other adverbs, but i just thought it made it funnier. but seriously, he does a good job, is approachable, easy going, and conveys the material well. he also is constantly relating the math to real world applications, which is actually interesting because if you're taking this class you're probly not doing math for the sake of it. if there are downsides, it's that on the first test he put a question on that he told us a) was extremely difficult, b) he admitted most of us wouldn't understand and c) wasn't applicable to many real world situations. that's about the worst of it though. his tests (which he curves) are a bit difficult, but doing the harder problems from the hw should get you a solid b on them. calc iv is probly the easiest calc there is just cuz it's a repeat of 1 and 2, so it doesn't require learning completely new concepts. i'd take borz again if i was able to.

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2008

This guy is great. So far all of my math professors had been not so great, but this guy is the first that actually was able to clearly explain things. He goes over things in great detail, and shows us the concepts while relating them to real life applications. He tries to tell jokes every now and then that don't quite work out... but it's all good. He doesn't collect homeowork, but assigns a lot of it, if you stick to doing the harder problems then you should have no surprises on the midterms. And, if you do need extra help, he's more than happy to help during office hours. His tests are pretty hard, but if you've done the homework, taken time to study, then it shouldn't be bad. Overall the class in itself is not hard, it's just a repeat of calc 1 and 2 but in 3D. And, Borzellino makes it much better. He also gives quizes every week, which basically are like the homeowork problems, so if you're keeping up with them it should all be good.

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Oct 2008

Professor Borzellino does present material pretty clearly, it's just sometimes the material is weird. It really is just a repeat of Calc 1 and 2 in 3D, but some of the stuff you have to do is crazy. We went through this one section and it was some really crazy derivatives, and he taught it one way using smiley faces and stars, and the book taught it another way. So I totally learned it the book way for when I was doing homework, and then of course on his tests I had to derive it his way. It's possible to do well, you just need to study pretty hard. He had suggested homework every night, but doesn't collect it, but usually the quiz question at the end of every week would really just be a homework-type problem. He's pretty cool, he let me make up a missed quiz because I had to miss a day for personal reasons. He's alright to have.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2008

Excellent professor. Gives the clearest lectures I've had in a math class at Poly. Great at making 3D calculus understandable, no easy task by any means. No homework, but weekly quizzes (pretty straightforward). Tests are brutal, but the whole class is graded heavily on the curve.

Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Jan 2009

Prof. Borzellino is a great teacher! He explains the material so clearly in class and gets right to the point! And he's so helpful in office hours! The one thing about him, though, is that his midterms and final are pretty tough. I got a C on the first one because I thought the questions would be more broad, but he goes more in depth with the questions to make sure you really know what you're doing. So they require a lot of studying but you really come out of the class learning a lot! I'd recommend him to anyone because you actually learn! You have to know the stuff pretty well to get a good grade but he helps you all along the way! Great guy!

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2009

A quiz every week. Quizzes on fridays, with questions on HW answered before the quiz starts. Two midterms and a final. The HW is very long and not collected, but you need to do it so you can do good on the quizzes. The midterms are very hard. You really need to know your stuff for the midterms. Look over his study guide, but also look over all the examples he did in class, one the first midterm he put in questions from the HW that were answered in class, but no one thought to remember it because it was a small section on the HW. Overall, he is an average professor. He gives a nice curve, but you can't rely on it. Just do good on quizzes and decent on the tests and you should have no problem.

Sophomore
F
General Ed
Dec 2009

This was my first F at Cal Poly. I am a B average engineering student, but Borzellino\'s class did not work for me.
Class Eval:
As for class setup, we only had one midterm and quizzes. The homework was all really easy for me. It all is straight forward. It is just a bit lengthy, but he doesn\'t collect them. HOWEVER, the quizzes are pretty hard. Some of the questions are easy but then he always put some question that requires you to think above and beyond any HW question. On the midterm and final, be prepared to know how to do the toughest HW problems all with their own little tricks. There are never simple and conclusive problems on the test and the answers are always super funky. (he doesn\'t take the time to make the math/derivation/integration come out easy) Every single problem will require you to know how to take the integral or the derivate of some random function. He creates problems that are not anything like book problems. He will combine several ideas and make a problem. He said he does this to \"challenge us\". There was one problem on the midterm that not one student got right. Not even one student got halfway close, he said. If 0/120 students get no more than half credit, then the problem should be dropped. But don\'t expect sympathy from Borzellino. Good luck!
Teacher Eval:
He is great if you understand calc really well and just want to expand your capabilities. But not fun if you are an average student. It could of been our class tho, he complained about us not being fun all the time. I thought it was the way he presented himself. He would come in right at 12:10 start writing on the board and leave at 1. He never would tell us any homework problems to focus on or give us any direction. He rarely does examples and they are always simple ones. He never puts up any complex problems on the board and works through them. But those are the ones on the test. As for his \"curve\": it definitely did not help me out at all. I was border line failing 59%. Which according to past students, might be a C- on his curve. But he failed me in the end.
This was my least favorite class at Poly because it lacked excitement, direction, explanation, and a professor that cared about his students\' success.
Take my eval as it is. I will be retaking this class and will repost an eval comparing Borzellino to my new professor.

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2010

Borzellino is a BOSS. Calc 4 is difficult if you can\'t picture things.. but he uses different colored chalk and spends time describing what the heck he\'s trying to draw and uses real-life comparisons such as the corner of the room so that you can SEE it in 3D. His tests work in a way that makes you FEEL like they\'re impossible and you failed, but they really aren\'t. He gives you more problems then you could actually finish for midterms- but that\'s because he curves the hell out of them after (so all in all, you get like 6-7 probs, 50 min, BUT!!!! you basically get the chance to go through and do as many as you KNOW how to do! He assumes you won\'t know how to do EVERYTHING, an then basically throws the points that no one got out!) One \"ergh\" thing about the class is that you don\'t REALLY know what your grade is through out the quarter, cuz it\'s based on everyone ELSE\'S grade. It\'s completely subjective. Don\'t take it while other braniacs are takin it an take it with a buncha friends so you can get the jist of how you\'re doin. Or jus talk to people in class. ;) He\'s amazing and very approchable, TAKE HIM! [ps the only reason why I have a C in that class is because I make a bunch of small mistakes on tests cuz of the pressure =/ but I had a fantastic understanding, tutored one of my friends on EVERYTHING, and they got a B+ in his class.)

Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Nov 2010

This professor is the worst teacher i have ever had. It is nice that you might be able to have a twice a week class, but Borzellino is impossible to ask questions to and doesn\'t present material well at all. He can barely even speak English well enough to have a conversation. AVOID BORZELLINO AT ALL COSTS.

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2011

He is a good Professor. He gives a weekly quiz. Before the quiz he goes over the type of problems that are most likely going to show on the quiz. His midterm is okay, just make sure that you study everything. Stay on top of the homework, which he does not collect, and you will do fine.

Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2011

Borzellino was awesome. I've never had a teacher explain things so well. He would explain something, then do an example that applied it very well, then explained how it could be used in real world thinking. Quizzes were tricky because he isn't keen on giving partial credit, so make sure to be careful with what you are doing in regards to sin, cos, positives and negative signs, and other stuff like that. The quizzes arent too big of a deal if you study real hard for a day for the midterm. I didn't do the hw, my quiz average was a C but I got an A on the midterm and got an A in the class. I'd suggest this guy to anyone.

Junior
A
Required (Support)
May 2011

Prof Borzellino was by far the best Math teacher i've had at cal poly. Take him if you can. He presents material very clearly and is tough but fair on all his tests and quiz's. I didn't do much HW, and just reviewed my lecture notes, using homework to clarify when needed and I got an A with relative ease. Take him!

MATH 244

Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2006

The class is set up with a quiz every week and two midterms. Homework is not collected but if you want to pass you should definitely do at least a few problems a night. Borzellino really is a good teacher, his lectures are more interesting than the average math prof and while I was lost occassionally this confusion lasted only a class or two rather than a whole quarter like some teachers. Good guy if you have problems (let me take the midterm late due to illness) and is very helpful in office hours. He isn't easy, but I understand more from getting a c in Borzellino's class than I did in getting an A in previous classes. Take him and do the work, you wont be sorry.

Freshman
C
Elective
Aug 2010

The Professor: OKAY; The Class: BWEEEEUURGHHHH. Professor Borzellino is okay in the sense that he can present the material decently, and if you do the homework you\'ll be fine. He curves almost everything, so just stay above the average, and you\'ll get a good grade. What got me most was the subject material of Math 244, it wasn\'t my cup of tea. As such my review may be a bit biased. Still, professor Borzellino was a decent professor.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2011

Pros:
-He knows his stuff
-Very fair tests (midterms, finals)
-No graded homework
Cons:
-No graded homework (Noted this twice because it's less work but most people don't do the hw if it isn't graded, which causes grades to suffer)
-Somewhat disorganized
-Harsh grader.
-Thinks on a level (math-wise) so much higher than most students that his 'explanations' often doesn't help.
Overall, he isn't bad. However, I could probably name 4 better math professors off the top of my head.

MATH 304

Junior
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2006

What a dreadful professor. He rambles on and on about proofs that don't make any sense because you haven't learned the material yet, and there are so few examples done in class that when you finally get to the homework in the book, nothing at all is clear. Oh, sure, the weekly quizzes weren't bad at all, and the first midterm was reasonable, but the second one and the final were a nightmare. He simply puts too many problems on his tests, and the types he presents are quite different from the book problems. This normally wouldn't be a problem, except that you don't DO anything in class. Stay the hell away from him unless you want hours of homework a night, stress levels out the wazoo, and a shoddy grasp of the material.

MATH 306

Junior
A
Required (Major)
Aug 2011

He was a below average lecturer for this class and just expected us to be able to get the material. I just don't think he could relate to our struggles. He would sometimes even be rude to the people who asked questions, which is a big turn off for me. I've heard good things from other people, but most of our class was left in the dust by him

MATH 416

Senior
B
Required (Major)
Jun 2017

The Wizard himself. Does he say much? No. Does he write much? No. And yet what he does say, and what he does write are so insightful you've gone through the whole textbook without realizing. Excellent professor with fair tests. 10/10 would (and am) taking again.

ES 798

Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Nov 2016

Missed the first day, went to the second day. Went to the midterm. Went to the Final. Three days of class total. I got a B, easy. This kind of shit gives our school a bad name.